Shortest distance to a salt-water beach by road, Galveston TX (680 miles) Shortest distance to a fresh water beach on a major body of water: Chicago, IL (520 miles) Shorte…st distance to a fresh water beach: Milford Lake, only 10-15 miles out of town!

It makes no sense, but there is both! Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. There is also a place called Kansas, OK (but not Kansas city, just Kansas). Just like Portland. Ther…e is a Portland in Oregon and Maine. Trust me, sometimes cities double, maybe even triple!